Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa. Has been ordered to give federal prosecutors more than 1,600 text messages, emails, and other communications related to the investigation of Donald Trump’s alleged alleged attempt to alter the results of the 2020 election.
On Tuesday, Politico reported that Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled most of Perry’s messages could not be withheld from prosecutors due to protections afforded to members of Congress.
Boasberg concluded that the 1,659 communications were not subject to the Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause.
The clause prohibits prosecutors and courts from looking into official congressional business.
The court documents allege the messages appear to show Perry acted as an intermediary for Trump and his allies in the finals week of his presidency.
CNN reported: The judge looked at the messages in three broad groups – if they are with members of the executive branch, meaning Trump or others; if they are among congressional members; or if they are with individuals outside the government. The judge found that some of these messages should be protected, following directions from the appeals court above him.
The court found that communications about proposed legislation and the 2020 congressional certification of the Electoral College votes could be withheld from investigators if Perry wanted to protect them.
As Just The News Noted, the exchanges may fill in gaps in special counsel Jack Smith’s probe of the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Perry has yet to decide whether he will appeal the decision.
Earlier this month, Special Counsel Jack Smith announced plans to use Trump’s White House cellphone and Twitter data in the forthcoming election trial.
Smith outlined his intention to call up to three expert witnesses to testify in the case against Trump.
The Daily Fetched reported:
The filing shows how prosecutors plan to use data obtained under warrant from X about Trump’s account, including location data.
“The government has provided its Notice of Expert Witnesses to the defendant,” reads the filing submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, outlining each expert’s expertise and expected testimony.
According to the filing, the ‘experts’ will use the data to show how President Trump used his phones “throughout the post-election period” and on Jan. 6, 2021.
Politico noted, “While Smith described in the filing using the data to view images, websites, and locations, it’s unclear if he accessed the substance of Trump’s communications or if anything was shielded due to executive privilege or other limits.”
As The Epoch Times reported, Referred to as Expert 1, Expert 2, and Expert 3, the experts are anticipated to “aid the jury” in understanding the data and how it is visually presented on a map after being extracted from the White House phones of President Trump.
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